Ink roller means in drum series printing apparatus



c. E. RYDMAN 3,359,894

INK ROLLER MEANS IN'DRUM SERIES PRINTING APPARATUS Dec. 26, 1967 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 BESNDRRRRR Filed March 5, 1965 REGULAR wRAP C. E. RYDMAN Dec. 26, 1967 3,359,894

' INK ROLLER MEANS IN DRUM SERIES PRINTING APPARATUS Filed March 5 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 C. E. RYDMAN Dec. 26, 1967 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 5, 1965 Dec. 26, 1967 c. E. RYDMAN 3,359,894

INK ROLLER MEANS IN DRUM SERIES PRINTING APPARATUS 7 Filed March 1965 e Sheets-Sheet 4 Dec. 26, 1967 c. E. RYDMAN INK ROLLER MEANS IN DRUM SERIES PRINTING APPARATUS 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 5, 1965 C. E. RYDMAN Dec. 26, 196 7 INK ROLLER MEANS IN DRUM SERIES PRINTING APPARATUS v e Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed March 5, 1965 United States Patent 3,359,894 INK ROLLER MEANS IN DRUM SERIES PRINTING APPARATUS Carl E. Rydman, Worcester, Mass., assignor to Dennison Manufacturing Company, Framingham, Mass a corporation of Nevada Filed Mar. 5, 1965, Ser. No. 437,513 Claims. (Cl. 10197) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Printing apparatus having coaxial printing wheels which may be set to print different indicia on an article such as a tag or label and also having interchangeable printing plates for concomitantly printing other indicia on the same article.

This invention relates to so-called dial-set printers, that is printers having a series of coaxial wheels with aligned peripheries carrying type which can be set in an axial row of any desired combination of indicia at the printing position.

Objects of the invention are to provide apparatus which is readily adaptable to print different kinds of indicia, which prints clearly without blurring and which is durable and reliable in use.

According to this invention the apparatus comprises a head, a platen, means for producing relative movement between the head and platen, a series of coaxial wheels rotatably mounted on the head with aligned peripheries carrying type which can be set in an axial row of any desired combination of indicia at the printing position opposite the platen, an ink pad adjacent the aforesaid row, an ink roller, an actuator for oscillating the roller back and forth over the ink pad and type along a predetermined path which has a portion extending past the type and a portion extending beyond the type, driving means for driving the ink roller at the speed at which it rolls over the type so that it does not slip on the type in the first portion, and idling means for supporting the ink roller in the second portion so that it can rotate freely. In a more specific aspect the apparatus has guide means disposed in a plane approximately tangential to said wheels at said position, the guide means having two tracks and said ink roller having two rolls bearing on said tracks respectively, one roll being fast to the ink roller for driving the ink roller at the speed at which it rolls over the type in said first portion and the other roll permitting the roller to turn freely in said second portion, and means for yieldingly pressing said rolls against said tracks. Preferably the ink roller has trunnions overlapping said tracks, said rolls bearing on the tracks respectively.

The printing head may have a guide slidable to receive a printing plate, the guide extending axially in alignment with said peripheries, and the wheels having blank spaces at one location around their peripheries to receive, from said guide, the printing plate with its type in the same plane as the type of said row sothat indicia may be printed simultaneously by plate and wheels. The aforesaid guide means for the ink roller should be retractable to permit insertion of said printing plate.

For the purpose of illustration a typical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which FIG. 1 is a front view of the apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a view from line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a face view of a printed ticket;

FIG. 4 is an elevation of the right-hand side of the apparatus showing the inking rollers in retracted position and the platen in printing position;

FIG. 5 is a view from line 55 of FIG. 4 with parts broken away;

FIG. 6 is a section on line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a section on line 77 of FIG. 1 showing the inking rollers in advanced position;

FIG. 8 is a vertical section on line 8-8 of FIG. 1 showing the feed pawl;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged front view with parts omitted;

FIG. 10 is a view of the left-hand side of the apparatus with parts omitted, showing the inking rollers in retracted position;

. FIG. 11 is a similar view with parts omitted, showing the inking rollers in inking position;

FIG. 12 is a section on line 12-12 of FIG. 11 showing the inking roller in inking position;

FIG. 13 is a similar view on line 1313 of FIG. 11 showing the inking rollers beyond inking position; and

FIG. 14 is an isometric view of one of the tracks for the rolls on the inking roller.

The particular embodiment of the invention chosen for the purpose of illustration comprises a base 1, an upright 2 and an overhanging arm 3 (FIGS. 1 and 4). The frame also comprises an integral bracket 4 extending forwardly from the left-hand side of the upright (FIGS. 1 and 10). Another bracket 6 is secured to the upright by means of screws 7 in spaced relation to the bracket 4 (FIGS. 1 and 4). Journaled in these brackets is dial-set mechanism comprising wheels 8 which carry rubber belts 9 upon which type 11 are formed. For each printing wheel there is an indicating wheel 12 carrying similar indicia. Extending through the wheels is mechanism for setting the wheels to print the desired indicia, the setting mechanism comprising a carriage 13, a knob 14 for rotating the wheels and moving the carriage axially, and an indicator 16 for indicating the setting. Each wheel has interior gear teeth 17 and the carriage 13 carries two pinions 15 (FIG. 7), one meshing selectively with the type wheels and the other meshing with the corresponding indicating wheel. To set up a desired row of printing indicia the carriage is shifted from wheel to wheel, the knob 14 being turned to bring the desired indicia to printing position. This dial-set mechanism is old and well-known, a typical example being shown in the patent to Flood 1,980,576 granted Nov. 13, 1934, and further description is unnecessary for the purpose of the present invention.

Pivotally mounted on the base 1 is a support 18 carrying a platen 19, the support oscillating back and forth between the printing position shown in FIG. 4 and the retracted position show in FIG. 7 through the intermediate position shown in FIG. 1. The support is oscillated back and forth by means of an actuator 20, both the support and actuator being mounted on the shaft 21 (FIG. 7). Screws 22 thread through the support into engagement with the actuator to adjust the extent to which the platen 19 approaches the printing wheels. The support is oscillated back and forth by means of a motor 23, belt 24, gear box 26, one-revolution clutch 27, cam 28, cam follower 29, lever arm 31 and link 32 (FIGS. 4 and 7).

As shown in FIGS. 1, 4, 7 and 8, a ticket strip S is fed over the support, from right to left in FIGS. 4, 7 and 8, by means of a feed pawl 33 on a carriage 34 which is reciprocated back and forth by the lever 31 through the medium of a lever 36 pivotally mounted on the lever arm 31 at 37 and a link 38. The lever 36 is urged in a clockwise direction (FIG. 7) by means of a spring 39 wrapped around the pivot 37 with its ends hooked over pins 41 and 42 on the levers 31 and 36 respectively. A screw 43 bears on pin 41 to limit the extend to which the spring 39 can swing the lever 36 clockwise, thereby to control the stroke of the feed pawl 33. Should the ticket strip S jam, the lever 36 stops while lever 31 continues to swing clockwise, the pin 41 leaving the adjusting screw 43 and the spring 39 being further tensioned.

As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6 after a ticket is printed it is cut off the strip by a cutter comprising a stationary blade 44 and a blade 46 mounted on a crank arm 47 actuated by an arm 48, links 49 and 51, lever 52, and cam 53.

The type at the printing position (line 1212 in FIG. 11) is inked by rollers 56 which oscillate back and forth from the retracted position shown in FIGS. 4 and 10, over ink pad 57, through the inking position shown in FIG. 11 to the advanced position shown in full lines in FIG. 7 and in broken lines in FIG. 11. The inking pad may be constructed as described and claimed in the copending application of Wallace 1. Satas, Ser. No. 437,515, filed on even date herewith. The ink rollers are actuated by the aforesaid cam 28, cam follower 58, lever 59, link 61, rack 62, pinion 63, circular rack 64 sliding in a guide 66, links 67 and roller supports 68. The cam followers 29 and 58 ride in the same endless cam groove 28. Lever 59 rocks back and forth between the positions shown in FIGS. 4 and 7 and lever 31 rocks back and forth correspondingly, the levers always being parallel to each other as shown in FIG. 7. A spring 69 urges the ink rollers clockwise (FIG. 11) about the shaft 71 yieldingly to press the rollers against the ink pad, type and guides 81.

As described and claimed in my copending application Ser. No. 437,495, filed on even date herewith, guides 72 are disposed on opposite sides of the dial-set wheels in alignment with the row of type in printing position (FIGS. 2, and 11). Slidable in these guides are printing plates 75 carrying additional type such as K BRAND in FIG. 2. At one location around each wheel is a blank space carrying no type so that a printing plate may he slipped in from the guides 72 with its type in the same plane as the wheel type in the printing row. Preferably the blank spaces have flat surfaces abutting the back of the printing plate. Auxiliary guides 73 may be provided adjacent to the main guide 72 and in the same plane to receive auxiliary printing plates 74. Bridging the space between the right and left guides 73 is a bar 76 to back up the auxiliary plates (FIG. 11). When set as shown in FIG. 2 the apparatus prints a ticket T such as shown in FIG. 3, the wheels printing 00000, the main plate printing K BRAND and the auxiliary plate printing REGULAR WRAP.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 9, l2 and 13 each inking roller has rollers 77 and 78 on its trunnions. Rollers 77 are keyed to the trunnions at 79 and rollers 78 have anti-friction bearings freely rotatable on the trunnions.

Extending past the inking position (line 1212 of FIG. 11) on opposite sides of the printing wheels are guides 81 which are pivotally mounted on shaft '82 and yieldingly urged in a counterclockwise direction (FIG. 10) by springs 83 yieldingly to hold the guides in the position shown in FIGS. 2 and 10. As shown in FIG. 10 a lever 84 is pivoted at'SS to retract the guides 81 from operative position to the retracted position shown in broken lines, thereby to permit the insertion of printing plates such as shown at 74 and 75 in FIG. 2. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 the guides 81 are disposed in a plane approximately tangential to their printing wheels at the printing station. Each guide has two tracks for the rollers 77 and 78 respcctively (FIGS. 12, 13 and 14) and each track has high and low portions. The track for each of the rollers 77 has a high portion 86 extending past the printing row of type where the type is inked and a low portion 87 beyond the inking region, and the track for each of the rollers 78 has a low portion 88 adjacent the high portion 86 and a high portion 89 adjacent the low portion 87, the two high portionsbeing in the same plane and the two low portions being in the same plane. Thus while the inking rollers roll over the type they are supported by rolls 77 on the high portions 86 as shown in FIG. 12 so that the inking rollers are caused to rotate by friction with the tracks and prevented from sliding over the type, the rolls 77 preferably being formed of fiber to increase the friction between rolls and tracks. Thus the high portions 86 of the track and the means for moving the ink roller along the track constitute means for driving the ink roller at the speed at which it rolls over the type. After the inking rollers pass beyond the type, at the location indicated at 90 in FIG. 14, each roll 77 leaves the high portion 86 and each roll '78 engages the high portion 89, which constitutes idling means to permit the inking rollers to turn freely by inertia (FIG. 14). Thus when the inking rolls roll back over the type from the advanced position shown in broken lines in FIGS. 7 and 11 to the retracted position shown in FIGS. 4 and 10 each type does not engage exactly the same area it did on the advance stroke of the inking rollers and each type is so inked that it prints without ghosting, that is blurring.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modifications and equivalents which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Printing apparatus comprising a head, a platen, means for producing relative movement between the head and platen, a series of coaxial wheels rotatably mounted on the head with aligned peripheries carrying type faces which can be set in an axial row of any desired combination of indicia at the printing position opposite the platen, an ink pad adjacent said row, an ink roller, an actuator for oscillating the roller back and forth over the ink pad and type along a predetermined path which has a first portion extending past the type faces and a second portion extending beyond the type face, means engaging the ink roller for driving the ink roller at the speed at which it rolls over the type faces so that it does not slip on the type faces in said first portion, and means for disengaging the ink roller from the driving means in said second portion so that it can rotate freely.

2. A printing device comprising a head, a platen, means for producing relative movement between the head and platen, a series of coaxial wheels rotatably mounted on the head with aligned peripheries carrying type which can be set in an axial row of any desired combination of indicia at the printing position opposite the platen, guide means disposed in a plane approximately tangential to said wheels at said position, an ink roller guided by said guide means, an ink pad at one end of said guide means, and means for oscillating the ink roller back and forth over the pad and type along a predetermined path which has a portion extending past the type and a portion extending beyond the type, said guide means having two tracks and said ink roller having two rolls bearing on said tracks respectively, one roll being fast to the ink roller for driving the ink roller at the speed at which it rolls over the type in said first portion and the other roll permitting the roller to turn freely in said second portion.

3. A printing device according to claim 2 further characterized by means for yieldingly pressing said rolls against said tracks.

4. A printing device comprising a head, a platen, means for producing relative movement between the head and platen, a series of coaxial wheels rotatably mounted on the head with aligned peripheries carrying type which can be set in an axial row of any desired combination of indicia at the printing position opposite the platen, guides disposed at opposite ends of said row in a plane approximately tangential to said wheels at said position, an ink roller having trunnions overlapping said guides, an ink 5 pad at one end of said guides, and means for oscillating the roller back and forth over the pad and type along a predetermined path which has a portion extending past the type and a portion extending beyond the type, each of said guides having two tracks and each of said trunnions having two rolls bearing on said tracks respectively, one roll being fast to the trunnion for driving the ink roller at the speed at which it rolls over the type in said first portion and the other roll permitting the trunnion to turn freely in said second portion.

5. A printing device according to claim 4 further characterized by means for yieldingly pressing said rolls against said tracks.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Ohrner 101-70 Bohrer 10187 Wheelbarg-er et a1. 10166 Woodward et a1. 101-95 Wolff et a1. 10197 Welter 101-97 Lang 10197 Boe-kel-oo 101103 WILLIAM B. PENN, Primary Examiner. 

1. PRINTING APPARATUS COMPRISING A HEAD, A PLATEN, MEANS FOR PRODUCING RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN THE HEAD AND PLATEN, A SERIES OF COAXIAL WHEELS ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON THE HEAD WITH ALIGNED PERIPHERIES CARRYING TYPE FACES WHICH CAN BE SET IN AN AXIAL ROW OF ANY DESIRED COMBINATION OF INDICIA AT THE PRINTING POSITION OPPOSITE THE PLATEN, AN INK PAD ADJACENT SAID ROW, AN INK ROLLER, AN ACTUATOR FOR OSCILLATING THE ROLLER BACK AND FORTH OVER THE INK PAD AND TYPE ALONG A PREDETERMINED PATH WHICH HAS A FIRST PORTION EXTENDING PAST THE TYPE FACES AND A SECOND PORTION EXTENDING BEYOND THE TYPE FACE, MEANS ENGAGING THE INK ROLLER FOR DRIVING THE INK ROLLER AT THE SPEED AT WHICH IT ROLLS OVER THE TYPE FACES SO THAT IT DOES NOT SLIP ON THE TYPE FACES IN SAID FIRST PORTION, AND MEANS FOR DISENGAGING THE INK ROLLER FROM THE DRIVING MEANS IN SAID SECOND PORTION SO THAT IT CAN ROTATE FREELY. 